American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)

More than four million annual visitors, students and residents in New Mexico will soon have public Wi-Fi access at city parks, state parks, public housing, civic spaces, community centers and senior centers after the state’s broadband office awarded nearly $6 million in grants. The Office of Broadband Access and Expansion has approved nine Wi-Fi grants through its American Rescue Plan Act Community Wi-Fi Project, a newly launched program designed to help municipal, county, and regional governments and state agencies expand Wi-Fi service.

Oklahoma is now 95 percent of the way toward reaching statewide connectivity, with Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment builds still ahead. But deploying last-mile broadband networks is just one aspect of closing the digital divide.

Since 2020, Congress has steered tens of billions of dollars, including more than $50 billion from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, through federal agencies to connect homes and businesses that lack high-speed internet access. Four agencies account for most of that money: the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Treasury.

A substantial project to deliver over 1,000 miles of fiber internet has concluded. 123NET, a Michigan-based provider of fiber internet, colocation, and voice services, announced it completed the Allegan County broadband expansion project.

This summer, Oklahoma launched a statewide community access portal initiative, bringing private, internet-connected spaces to public libraries across the state. The program will place as many as 175 portals in libraries, giving rural residents a private space to access telehealth, workforce development, education, and other essential online services. The initiative comes as libraries have taken on an expanding role as community access points for technology and telehealth.

Federal broadband funding is doing more than expand service. It is also changing the competitive landscape in the communities receiving it. Nearly 43% of federally funded served locations in non-BEAD areas now have access to more than one broadband provider. That is meaningful progress for rural communities that have historically had limited choice, creating the potential for better pricing, stronger service and more bundled offers for consumers. A funded area is no longer just a future build opportunity. It may already be, or soon become, a contested market.

Kinetic announced a major broadband expansion in North Carolina, delivering multi-gig fiber internet to an additional 16,000 homes across more than 40 communities in the second quarter of 2026. The expansion highlights Kinetic’s commitment to delivering better technology, at a better value, for customers. In the second quarter of 2026, Kinetic added fiber locations in Granite Quarry, Concord, Indian Trail, Pine Bluff, China Grove, Tryon, Morven, Davidson, Kannapolis and more. A portion of these locations were supported by funds awarded to the State of North Carolina by the U.S.

Last week, we covered some of the broadband and digital equity initiatives launched by the states this summer. From digital equity resources in Louisiana to historic investments in broadband infrastructure funding for the Navajo Nation, here are some more notable broadband news bites we've seen from states and Tribal governments around the country.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration and the Massachusetts Broadband Institute, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, announced $1,492,571 in awards to 10 public and affordable housing organizations to help residents access the internet, learn digital skills, and make practical use of online tools in their daily lives.